Storing device for convoluted tape and the like



June 25, 1968 K. JACOB 3,389,942

STORING DEVICE FOR CONVOLUTED TAPE AND THE LIKE Filed March 25, 1966 INVENTOR- K14"?! ACE/NZ (74608 Ml f/mv United States Patent "ice 3,389,942 STORENG DEVXCE FOR CQNVOLUTED TAPE AND THE LIKE Karlheinz Jacob, Nuremberg, Germany, assignor to Grundig Eiectro-lvl'echanische Versuchsanstalt, Furth, Bavaria, Germany Filed lWar. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 536,683 Claims priority, application Germany, Apr. 17, 1965,

6 Claims. (ci. 312-40 ABSTRACT OF THE DESCLOSURE A device for storing reels of convoluted tape comprising a fiat box-shaped plastic receptacle having a compartment bounded by two side Walls and provided with a narrow upwardly extending inlet which can be closed by a cover pivoted to the receptacle at the lower end of the inlet. The reel which is inserted into the compartment rests on a ramp slanting downwardly toward the inlet so that the reel rolls along the ramp and against a bottom portion of the cover when the latter is moved to open position. The bottom portion is inclined downwardly toward the inlet and the pivot for the cover is located at a level above the lowermost point of the ramp to reduce the speed of a reel during travel against the bottom portion and to thereupon act as a stop which cooperates with the bottom portion to support the reel and to prevent rolling movement of the reel back onto the ramp.

The present invention relates to improvements in storing devices for convoluted sound tape or wire, for coiled movie film and for similar convoluted carriers of intelligence.

It is already known to store roll film, sound tape and similar band-like or wire-like carriers of intelligence in flat box-shaped receptacles which can be stacked on racks, shelves and similar supports not unlike the books on the shelf of a library. A cover or lid normally closes a vertically extending slit-like inlet through which the carriers can be introduced into or withdrawn from the interior of the receptacle. A serious drawback of such storing devices is that it is often quite difficult to withdraw a carrier from its compartment, particularly if the diameter of the carrier is relatively small and when the carrier comes to rest in the innermost part of its compartment. In order to expel the carrier from its compartment, the user must often resort to a makeshift tool which is applied to expose the carrier to such an extent that the latter can be conveniently gripped by fingers. In so doing, a careless or clumsy person is likely to damage the carrier.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a storing device for convoluted tape and similar coiled carriers of intelligence which is constructed and assembled in such a Way that, as soon as the cover of the receptacle which forms part of the storing device is moved to open position, the carrier is automatically compelled to leave its compartment, at least to such an extent that it is within reach and can be fully withdrawn from its receptacle without resorting to any tools.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel receptacle which forms part of the improved storing device and to construct the receptacle in such a way that a carrier which is accommodated therein invariably tends to move outwardly and to assume a position in which at least a substantial portion thereof can be grasped by fingers.

A further object of the invention is to provide the im- 3,389,942 Patented June 25, 1968 proved storing device with an improved cover which not only prevents entry of dust or other foreign matter into the receptacle but also serves as a stop to limit the extent to which a carrier can extend from its compartment when the cover is moved to open position.

An additional object of the invention is to provide the receptacle of the improved storing device with very simple but reliable detent means to hold the cover in closed position and to provide the cover with very simple handgrip means in order to facilitate the manipulation of such cover preparatory to removal or expulsion of a carrier from its compartment.

Still another object of the instant invention is to provide an eye-pleasing, lightweight, inexpensive and compact storing device which occupies little room, which can be used for storage of relatively large or relatively small carriers, which can be separably or integrally assembled with one or more additional storing devices to constitute therewith a depository for any desired number of accurately stacked carriers, and which can be used for storage of carriers which are wound up on flanged or fiangeless reels.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide the improved storing device with a cover which can automatically locate a carrier in optimum position for introduction into the compartment of the associated receptacle.

Briefly stated, one feature of my present invention resides in the provision of a device for storing coiled tape and similar convoluted carriers of intelligence. The storing device comprises a receptacle including a pair of upright side walls which are preferably located in tWO parallel vertical planes and define between themselves a preferably rectangular compartment dimensioned to accommodate a convoluted carrier and having an upwardly extending narrow inlet for admission or evacuation of a carrier, such inlet being preferably located in a vertical plane which is normal to the planes of the side walls and the receptacle further including a bottom wall extending between the side walls and having a carrier-supporting ramp which is inclined downwardly toward the lower part of the inlet so that a carrier resting on the ramp tends to advance (roll) by gravity toward and through the inlet to be readily grasped by the user, and a cover movable between first or closed and second or open positions in which it respectively conceals and exposes the the inlet.

The entire storing device may consist of suitable synthetic plastic material and the cover is preferably hinged to the side walls of the receptacle in such a way that, when moved to open position, it serves as a stop and prevents uncontrolled travel of the carrier from and beyond the inlet.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved storing device itself, however, both as to its construction and the mode of manipulating the same, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a central vertical section through the receptacle of a storing device which embodies one form of my invention, the cover being shown in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a similar section through the receptacle with the cover shown in fully open position;

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the receptacle as seen in the direction of arrows from the line A-B of FIG. 2;

PEG. 4 is a perspective view of a battery of three aligned storing devices with the cover of the foremost storing device shown in open position; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section through a battery of storing devices whose receptacles have common side walls.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and first to FIG. 1, there is shown a storing device which comprises two basic components, namely, a flat box-shaped receptacle 1 which defines a rectangular compartment 1a, and a cover or lid 3 which is pivotally secured to the side walls 2 of the receptacle 1. The side walls 2 are disposed in two parallel vertical planes and the distance between such side walls exceeds only slightly the axial length of a carrier 9, e.g., a length of sound tape or roll film convoluted on a flanged reel 7 which is shown in FIG. 3 and comprises two disk-shaped flanges 7a. The receptacle 1 comprises two identical halves 1A, 13 (see FIG. 3) which are mirror symmetrical with reference to a vertical plane X-X extending midway between the side walls 2. The halves 1A, 13 may be glued, welded or otherwise permanently or detachably secured to each other. The connection between the receptacle 1 and the cover 3 comprises a transversely extending horizontal pivot pin 5 which is adjacent to the lower righthand corner 4 of the receptacle and is received in an opening of the cover 3. The pin 5 comprises two coaxial portions each of which is integral with one of the side walls 2. Of course, it is equally possible to provide the cover with a bearing sleeve and to install the pivot pin in the side walls 2 or to provide the cover with a pivot pin which extends into bearing sleeves provided on the side Walls.

When the cover 3 is moved to a first or closed position which is shown in FIG. 1, its bottom panel 6 closes an upwardly extending narrow inlet 1); which is located in a vertical plane extending at right angles to the planes of the side walls 2. All component parts of the improved storing device may be made of synthetic plastic material by resorting to an injection molding, casting, pressing or other suitable method.

In accordance with an important feature of my present invention, the bottom wall 2a of the receptacle 1 is provided with a sloping portion or ramp 8 which comprises two mirror symmetrical halves (see FIG. 3) each integral with one of the side walls 2. The top face of the ramp 8 slopes downwardly toward the pivot pin 5, i.e., toward the lower part of the inlet 1b, so that a carrier 9 (and more particularly the flanges 7a of a reel 7 which supports a supply of convoluted carrier 9) Will automatically tend to advance along the ramp 8 and toward and through the inlet 1b so that the flanges 7b can be readily grasped by the user to complete the withdrawal of the carrier from its compartment 1a. The two halves of the ramp 8 may be pressed, poured, molded, glued or otherwise permanently or detachably secured to the respective side walls 2 and the ramp 8 extends sufficiently close to the front wall 22 to insure that even a smalldiameter carrier 9 cannot be wedged or trapped in the corner space 10 between the left-hand end of the ramp and the front wall 22. In other words, the ramp 8 should extend sufficiently close to the front wall 22 to insure that a carrier 9 which abuts against the front wall 22 still exhibits the tendency to roll along the upper side of the ramp 8 and toward and through the inlet 1b. As shown in FIG. 1, the inclination of the ramp 8 with reference to a truly horizontal plane need not be significant, as long as such inclination suffices to insure gravity-induced advance of a carrier 9 toward the inlet 1b. Thus, and when the cover 3 is moved to the closed position shown in FIG. 1, the flanges 7a of the reel 7 invariably abut against the bottom panel 6 which then closes the inlet 11). The cover further comprises two side panels or guide panels 10, 11 which are located in parallel vertical planes and each of which is closely adjacent to one of the side walls 2. As shown, the area of the guide panel 11 is greater than the area of the guide panel 10; this facilitates convenient insertion of a carrier 9 into the space between the panels 6, 10 and 11 before the cover 3 is moved from the open position of FIG. 2 (in which the bottom panel 6 fully exposes the inlet 1b) to the closed position of FIG. 1.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the bottom panel 6 of the cover 3 comprises elongated edge portions 13 which are located at the opposite sides of the respective inlet 1b and extend laterally beyond the guide panels 10, 11. When the cover 3 is moved to closed position, the edge portions 13 abut against the vertical end faces 12 of the side walls 2. At the same time, a handgrip portion or tab 16 of the bottom panel 6 extends upwardly and beyond the top wall 2b of the receptacle 1 so that this handgrip portion 16 can be readily grasped in order to facilitate movement of the cover 3 to the open position of FIG. 2. Furthermore, and as also shown in FIG. 4, the edge portions 13 of the bottom panel 6 will abut against suitably inclined stop faces 2f of the side walls 2 when the cover 3 is moved to fully open position. The positioning of the stop faces 2;! is such that, when in fully open position, the bottom panel 6 slants downwardly toward the lower part of the inlet 1b, i.e., the inclination of the bottom panel 6 is just the opposite of that of the ramp 8. Thus, the bottom panel 6 serves as a stop to prevent uncontrolled rolling of a carrier 9 and preferably arrests the carrier in such position that, at the time the carrier comes to a full stop, a portion of each flange 7a still remains in the compartment 1a. Such final position of a carrier 9 is indicated in FIG. 2 by a phantom-line circle III. The circle I indicates the position of the carrier when the cover 3 is closed; as mentioned hereinbefore, the flanges 7a then abut against the inner side of the bottom panel 6. The third phantom-line circle II indicates in FIG. 2 an intermediate position of the carrier 9. It will be noted that the pivot pin 5 extends into the path of movement of the carrier 9 (when the latter moves from the intermediate position II to the end position III of FIG. 2) so that the pin 5 actually constitutes a braking or a speed-reducing device which reduces the speed of the carrier while the latter rolls off the ramp 8 and is on its way onto the bottom panel 6. A very important advantage of the pin 5 and stop faces 2 is that they contribute to a retardation and halting, i.e., supporting of the carrier 9 in position III regardless of the speed at which the user moves the cover 3 from the closed position of FIG. 1 to the open position of FIG. 2. Thus, the speed at which the carrier 9 moves from its innermost position to its exposed position is always the same. In certain presently known storing devices wherein the cover is provided with means for withdrawing a carrier from its compartment, the speed at whichthe carrier leaves the receptacle depends on the speed at which the cover is moved to open position. If the cover is opened very rapidly, the carrier may be propelled from the receptacle and might roll out of control, for example, the carrier can travel beyond the opened cover and can drop onto the floor to collect dirt.

The improved storing device is further provided with detent means for releasably holding the cover 3 in closed position with a force which sufices to overcome the pressure of a carrier 9 in the position I of FIG. 1 or 2, i.e., in a position in which the carrier bears against the bottom panel 6. Such detent means may comprise projections or protuberances 14 provided on the internal surfaces of the side walls 2 and receivable in complementary recesses or sockets 15 provided in the outer sides of the guide panels 10, 11. When the cover 3 is moved to closed position, the guide panels 19, 11 are fully received in the compartment 1a and the .protuberances 14 snap into the respective sockets 15. The side walls 2 are sufiicicntly thin to be at least slightly flexible in directions toward and away from each other so that they may yield while the operator pivots the cover 3 to closed position. The movement of the cover 3 to closed position is terminated automatically when the edge portions 13 reach the end faces 12. It is clear that the detent means may be modified by providing the projections 14 on the guide panels 10, 11 and by providing the inner sides of the side walls 2 with complementary sockets 15. Also, it is often sutficient to provide a single projection 14 and a single socket 15. The material of the receptacle 1 is preferably somewhat elastic so that the side walls 2 will spring back as soon as the projections 14 enter the corresponding sockets 15.

At least one of the side walls 2 is further provided with one or more guide portions 17 which may resemble arcuate ribs and extend inwardly from the internal surface of the respective side wall. FIG. 3 shows that such guide portions 17 may be provided on both side walls 2. Their purpose is to properly guide the outer sides of the flanges 7a. These guide portions 17 reduce not only noise but also friction between the fianges 7a and the side walls 2. Each side wall 2 may be integrally formed with one or more guide portions 17 or such portions may be subsequently molded, glued or otherwise aifixed thereto.

The side walls 2 of the receptacle 1 are preferably provided with aligned openings 19 communicating with such portions of the compartment 1a which are not intended to accommodate a portion of a carrier 9. Thus, and as shown in FIG. 2, each side wall 2 may be formed with two openings 19 which are closely adjacent to the corners 18 at the upper and lower ends of the front wall 22 and thereby communicate with two corner portions of the rectangular compartment 1a, namely, with portions which cannot receive a circular carrier. The purpose of the openings 19 is to receive an elongated coupling rod or pin 19a (see FIG. 4) which can extend through the openings 19 of two or more closely adjacent storing devices in order to insure that the storing devices remain in registry by forming a single file or row which occupies little room. The pins 19a cannot interfere with insertion or removal of carriers 9. FIG. 4 illustrates, merely by way of example, that the two pins 19a can connect three storing devices, but it is equally possible to use such pins to connect only two as well as four or more storing devices.

FIG. 5 shows the receptable of a composite storing device which comprises 12. series of integrally connected receptacles 101. As shown, each pair of adjoining receptacles can have a common side wall 102. The covers to be used with such receptacles must be provided with relatively narrow edge portions 13 or each cover will have only one edge portion 13.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fair ly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of my contribution to the art and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for storing tape and similar convoluted carriers of intelligence, comprising a receptacle including a pair of upright side walls defining between themselves a compartment dimensioned to accommodate a convoluted carrier and having an upwardly extending inlet for admission or evacuation of a carrier, and a bottom wall extending between said side walls and including a carrier-supporting ramp which is inclined downwardly toward said inlet so that a carrier resting on said ramp tends to advance by gravity toward and through said inlet; a cover movable between first and second positions in which it respectively closes and exposes said inlet, said cover comprising a portion which is inclined downwardly towards said inlet in said second position of said cover to arrest the carrier which is allowed to travel downwardly along said downwardly inclined carrier-supporting ramp; and combined speed-reducing and halting means carried by said receptacle adjacent to said inlet at a level above the lowermost point of said ramp and spaced above said downwardly inclined portion of said cover when the same is in siad second position thereof so as to not only brake the carrier which travels against said portion of said cover but also to halt and thus support the carrier on said downwardly inclined portion of said cover easily accessible from outside of said cover.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said speed reducing means constitutes a pivot connecting said cover to said receptacle.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said speed reducing means provides a stop against return movement of a carrier which abuts against said portion of the cover in said second position of the latter.

4. A device as defined in claim 3, wherin said speed reducing means extends transversely of said side walls and wherein said receptacle resembles a flat box of rectangular outline, said portion being the bottom of said cover.

5. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein said receptacle and said cover consist of synthetic plastic material.

6. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein said ramp terminates short of said speed reducing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,144,736 6/1915 Smith 312-20 2,550,251 4/ 1951 Hyatt 312-17 2,992,05 3 7/ 1961 McProud 3 l220 3,051,537 8/1962 Diehl et al. 3 12--11 X 3,169,682 2/ 1965 Hollingsworth. 3,258,126 6/1966 Frey 312-10 X BOBBY R. GAY, Primaiy Examiner.

I. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

